“OLD PROBABILITIES’” WORKSHOP—HOW WEATHER CALCULATIONS ARE MADE.
“Old Probabilities”—An Interesting Subject—The Weather Bureau—The
Experience Of Fifty Centuries—Foreseeing the Approach of
Storms—The Fate of the _Metis_—Quicker than the Storm—The First
Warning by Telegraph—Exchanging Reports with Canada—The
“Observing Stations”—Protecting the River Commerce—The Signal
Corps—The Examinations—The Sergeant’s Duties—The
Signal-Stations—The Work of the Observers—Preparing Bulletins
at Washington—Professor Maury’s Account—Safeguards Against
Mistakes—Deducing Probabilities—Despatching Bulletins—Watching
the Storm—The Storm at San Francisco—Prophetic
Preparations—Perfect Arrangements—Training the
Sergeants—General Meyer’s Work—An Extraordinary Mansion—The
“Kites and Windmills”—Inside the Mansion—The Apparatus—“The
Unerring Weather-Man”—“Old Probabilities” Himself—How
Calculations are Made—“Young Probabilities”—Interesting Facts, 491